Food In The Bible; The Odds and Ends

When it comes to food, it's easy to forget the one-offs, the odds,, and ends, things that aren't discussed largely. Some food groups in the Bible are broken down into individual items like dairy is mentioned as butter, cheese, curds, and milk. Or meat is several different types of animals and their meats. So, in this series; Food In The Bible, I'm starting with the odds and ends, the miscellaneous if you will. And also a heads up, these blogs will probably be a bit lengthy, here' is your heads up to get comfy and settled in with a snack and some tea. Eggs (Job 6:6; Luke 11:12) Raw Honey (Genesis 43:11; Exodus 33:3; Deuteronomy 8:8; Judges 14:8-9) Olive Oil (Ezra 6:9; Deuteronomy 8:8)

Eggs: Job 6:6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? Luke 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Biblically, You don't see a lot of mention of eating eggs. We'll get into chicken when we get to the meat part of this series, there's a whole back history. :) There are a few theories of eggs in the diet that I could find in my research. The History of Food by Maugelonne Toussaint-Samat states that eggs weren't really a part of the diet until poultry farming and domestication were common. Before, in times of hunger, eggs were eaten out of nests in times of need and hunger. The Holy Comforter St Cyprian Roman Catholic Church has an informational PDF online stating that eggs tended to be food for only the very wealthy. Before the Domestication of poultry, eggs were only obtained when found. While eventually, eggs made their way into the common avenues we see them now, I. e. bread, desserts, and as food items.. their preference as a protein source has never changed. But also, spiritually, they're also symbolized as a multitude of things. Fertility, life, rebirth, the resurrection, The symbolism of life translates across all religions when it comes to an egg. Raw Honey:

Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Exodus 33:3 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume (Destroy) you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked (Stubborn) people.” Deuteronomy 8:7-8 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; Judges 14:8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. From the verses above, honey is obviously treated with a type of reverence, showing its incredibly valued to those who had it. In Genesis, honey is mentioned as an item included in a present. Exodus's verse refers to a land "flowing with milk and honey" a land promised to have prosperity and life, a promise God had made, that he made a point to keep. Deuteronomy lays out an entire description of a "good land" , mentioning the waters, the valleys and hills, including food that grows there, and ends with a land of olive oil and honey. It paints a picture of a land akin to a paradise. And you find that even now, in today's society, we still use honey in the same ways they were used biblically. There were cases that honey was used in food and cosmetically. Food wise, we still use it as a sweetner, an ingredient for a more natural sugar. Now that I'm digging into my nutrition degree, finding out that the fact honey is natural was where the good for you list ended, I indeed felt lied to. Honey is natural, but it is a natural pure sugar. So while it is a "Natural" sweetner.. it still isn't good for you, especially in abundance. Honeyw as also used cosmetically, in the bible as well as is still used in a lot of DIY masks online currently. Honey contains antibacterial properties and has antioxidants good for the skin, which made it a must have for beauty reginmines back in the day. But also, there is the verse of Judges 14:8. Its a story of a young man who is overcome with the spirit of the lord and is able to overtake a lion as easily as he would a young goat. When he comes back to the carcass of the lion, he finds a swarm of bees and honey comb inside the carcass. The significance of this, is the designation of the SOURCE of the honey. You see, there were multiple types/sources of honey in the bible. There was "honey" made from dates, grapes, and it isn't until Judges 14:8 that Bee Honey becomes the designated popular honey source. Olive Oil:

Ezra 6:9; And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail, Deuteronomy 8:8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey Olive Oil itself in today's time, is still considered the primary/preferred choice of oil. Its a mark of multiple cuisines, especially Mediterranean cuisines. Olives, growing in their native habitat in the Mediterranean, Has definitely been explored a lot more, taste and quality wise, due to the rise of popularity in the general public's interest in television food shows and an uptick in interest in healthier options. A few things people may look for is where their olive oil came from (maybe Italy, Greece, or Spain), if all of the olives used for the oil came from the same estate, and multiple other factors. Olive Oil contains vitamins E and K, plus it contains antioxidants that are good for you as well. Biblically, we see a clear high value placed on Olive oil. It was used to annoint Kings of Israel and Judea. Temple instruments were anointed with olive oil and lamps were lit with olive oil.. In Ezra, King Cyrus, (The one who brought the Israelites back from Exile) is rebuilding the Temple (this is the second temple, after the first temple had been destroyed) and states that whatever the priests request in getting the Temple prepared and rebuilt, they would have, no matter what. He even offers the King's treasury to make sure that this is taken care of. While this series wont cover every single miscellaneous or even specific food items in the Bible, these are the things that stood out to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts of the food items and where they relate biblically, so far! Next week, is going to be